Tablets are important and integral part of life for millions of students worldwide. Pupils and students use tablets for gaming and entertainment, communication and many other tasks. However, the possibilities of modern devices make them suitable not only for entertainment, but also for education. Many specialists claim the advantages and new possibilities that tablets provide for children. For example, iPad has already started to be used in many schools in the United States. In this paper we need to consider the advantages of use of tablets at schools and some of the applications for science and social studies.

Using Tablets for Science and Social Studies

According to the latest research, using tablets at the lessons is a good motivational factor for pupils for mastering the various subjects at school, as tablets like iPad can make boring things interesting for little children. It helps to involve them in the learning process, provide different content along with the text: pictures, photos, audio and video, graphics and interactive pages, or other types of information. (Ion 2012)

Compact and multifunctional tablet can replace textbooks and introduce new content into the learning process. Even such difficult for children subjects as math or physics may look interesting and possibly attractive with the help of different applications on iPad. The most important aspect is that the tablet is able to make lessons interesting for children, generate interest in studies. Since they can learn while playing, students get a real interest and motivation for learning. (Ion 2012)

In order to evaluate the benefit from the use of tablets at schools, it is necessary to consider advantages they provide for schoolchildren. One of the major advantages of using tablets is that they can be easily used as electronic books. This can help to save on the purchase of textbooks and other materials: neither students nor schools have to buy textbooks and books every year. Another advantage is that tablets save space in students’ bags and backpacks: today, first-graders have to wear very heavy backpacks with textbooks to school that can hardly be considered a useful exercise, while tablets weight only about 500-800 grams. It is obvious that the tablet can be used not only as a book, but also as a device for information editing and storage. In this case simple paper note taking and other tedious aspects of the educational process will go back in time, while teachers can provide all the materials to students via Internet. However, the tablet can be used to make notes during lessons, for writing essays and compositions, during tests and exams. Many teachers also point out convenience and obvious advantages of using tablets, as it is much easier for them to plan lessons and assignments, when all students use the same devices.